A USDA Visit

[7itanium]

If the marisas were obtained legally and you can show proof you did obtain them legally, then USDA has no reason to confiscate and destroy them.

innocent until proven guilty.. they shouldnt be able to destroy them unless THEY can prove that you DIDNT obtain them legally.

there is no law that says you have to keep documentation of where they were purchased-- so unless you are proven to have bought them illegally I dont see how they have the right to do anything

 

[Kashta]

You might want to check and see if they are legal for you to have and if not, euthanize them.

Looks like I'm okay in Nevada. Just don't anyone send me any New Zealand mud snails!

If the marisas were obtained legally and you can show proof you did obtain them legally, then USDA has no reason to confiscate and destroy them.

That would be the problem, Lupin. I didn't obtain them... not deliberately. What if these were banned here? I have them now but have no clue where they came from. All I know is they appeared in my tanks last summer. I was buying a lot of plants from different places back then too.

I also have Asolene spixis, but I got those locally from someone who bred them and gave them to me. There's still nothing documented about that so I couldn't prove anything if I needed to.

 

[msjinkzd]

The thing is too, even if the snails were obtained legally but are banned/restricted snails, teh USDA can confiscate them if you are one who ships/sells. Same thing with plants on the noxious weed list.

 

[Star_Rider]

What i find interesting in all this.. the USDA is light on staffing to enforce. so in this case something is serious or they are responding to a tip .

good for them that they are trying to fix a possible problem.

 

[Bubbles2112]

What i find interesting in all this.. the USDA is light on staffing to enforce. so in this case something is serious or they are responding to a tip .

good for them that they are trying to fix a possible problem.

I think this is a good thing to. Although it must be shocking to have someone show up on your doorstep and say "I'm from the government and I'm here to help your eco-system" I think it is good that someone is keeping an eye on these things. I used to live in Maine and there is a terrible problem with invasive Milfoil (really bad--choking off entire lakes/ponds--can't even use propeller engines in some areas because the palnts are just too thick). The plant problem cannot be contained as most of the waterways are interconnected (those that are isolated can be transferred by animals such as the moose, eagles otters, etc.,) so it is spreading very rapidly and killing of many native fish/plants. Because of one plant, many small eco-systems are destroyed forever. The prevaling thought is that the plant came from a boat engine propeller or from an aquarist who released the plant inadvertantly.

Anyway, the point is that the seller who included the snails as a freebie and did not inform the customers is not doing anybody any favors and I think its good that somebody (govt agency) is checking on this. I would not like to think that I would turn away someone who was trying to do their job to make our eco-systems safe. I am thinking that perhaps this seller also has done/released other species without informing the buyers and perhaps their are other species of snails/fish/plants they have released are causing problems somewhere. It all echos of the individuals' responsibility to take the necessary precautions when it comes to keeping plants/animals.

 

[Flaringshutter]

Just keep in mind that many LFS don't know what they're getting, either. There are dozens of LFS in my area that sell columbian rams (who knows where they're getting them) and even a couple selling canas and spixis. When I found them, I was in total shock. I asked the owner where he got them from and he said they were sold to him as "pond snails" from a wholesaler in Georgia. He had no idea what they were, just thought they were normal aquarium snails, nothing odd. I had to explain to him how to ID shipping-restricted species - but that was made even more difficult by the fact he had brigs in there too.
As far as I know the USDA has no right to take snails that you bought legally, even a shipping-restricted species, as long as the snail is legal to own in your state. By all means, cooperate with them and please be polite as they are only doing their jobs, but they shouldn't just seize snails if you purchased them legally.
And if you do own a shipping-restricted species, you may want to take care to show that you are being responsible and controlling the population. If they visited my house they would find dixie cups in my freezer full of unwanted clutches and egg sacs. They would find a tank full of assassins for taking care of any babies that hatch in the tank accidentally. They would see a closed system and covered tank full of legally purchased snails. Just be responsible, keep everything transparent and easy to inspect, and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[maverickbr77]

Milfoil is some bad stuff i did a report on it in high school and found stories of bears getting tangled in it and dying If it can take down a bear it can get about anything

 

[Bubbles2112]

I have heard that Moose have drowned in the milfoil, birds (loons) get tangled in it and die. Its nasty stuff. Maine has scuba divers now who go into the lakes to try to pull as much out as they can and the news shows the boats chock full of milfoil all weighed down-heading to shore. Its awful.

 

[vampie]

So is this recent string of house visits a more permanent program? I remember this happened a couple of years back, but between then and now, nothing happened.

 

[snoopy65]

I am not sure. I am hoping it is continuous. People that are shipping illegally, especially to people that have no clue they are getting something illegal, should be held accountable.